THQ Nordic has now acquired survival horror classic Alone In The Dark

THQ Nordic has announced that it now owns the intellectual property rights to survival horror classic Alone in the Dark, as well as real-time strategy Act of War.

The publisher has, of course, been on a sizeable acquisitions spree in recent years, snapping up the licenses to all manner of well-liked, if largely dormant, video game franchises. Earlier this month, for instance, THQ Nordic revealed that ambitious fantasy adventure Kingdoms of Amalur – and unreleased MMO spin-off Copernicus – would be joining its portfolio, which already includes the likes of Dead Island, Saints Row, Darksiders, TimeSplitters, Homefront, Metro 2033, de Blob, and even Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy.

Alone in the Dark is a particularly eye-catching addition to that line-up, given that it’s a series of genuine historical significance in the realm of video games. Its initial instalment – which released on PC in 1992 and set players loose in a spooky old mansion for some strikingly cinematic Lovecratian terror – effectively birthed the 3D survival horror genre, establishing a formula that would go on to influence the likes of Resident Evil and Silent Hill.

[embedded content]

Act of War, meanwhile, is a near-future real-time strategy game developed by specialists Eugen Systems, who also created RUSE. It’s currently spawned two efforts – 2005’s Act of War: Direct Action and the High Treason expansion pack, which released the following year. Kieron Gillen reviewed Direct Action for Eurogamer back in the day, noting that “while Act of War doesn’t transcend its genre, in terms of doing the pure Red Alert thing, there hasn’t been anything as competent and thrilling in ages.” It even managed to score an 8/10.

THQ Nordic hasn’t revealed what it plans to do with its newly acquired Alone in the Dark and Act of War IPs, but remasters, remakes and honest-to-goodness sequels are all things we might reasonably expect/hope for. In particular, following Alone in the Dark’s disappointing 2008 reboot, it’d be especially nice to see the seminal series finally get the revival it deserves.